DUSHANBE, March 30, 2015, Asia-Plus – On March 27, Radio Liberty posted an interview with Edward Lemon, a doctoral candidate at the University of Exeter who tracks Tajik militants in Syria and Iraq.
Asked about the credibility of the threat made by Tajik Islamic State (IS) militants who have said they intend to shift their activities from the Middle East to their homeland, Mr. Lemon noted, “Despite these threats, however, so far nothing has materialized.”
Mr. Lemon, whose research examines the links between migration, religion, and security within Central Asian communities in Russia, is currently based in Moscow. He pointed out to RFE/RL that it is Russian commentators in particular who “have been vocal in hyping the Islamic State”s threat to Central Asia” and that many of those who do so go on to argue that Russian troops should intervene to protect Moscow”s interests in the region.
On the number of Tajik IS militants fighting in Syria and Iraq, he noted that “estimates from within Tajikistan vary.” “Where the Ministry of Internal Affairs has given a figure of 200, the State Security Committee says there are 300 Tajiks in Syria and Iraq. Based on my research, I have found online evidence for 70 fighters. But there are likely to be more who have traveled and whose existence has not been reported in the media. I think a figure of between 100 and 200 would be fairly accurate.”
According to him, when they examine the profiles of Tajik IS militants, it is evident that the majority of them spent time in Russia. “With over 1 million Tajiks working in Russia, this is not surprising. According to media reports, many of these individuals did not display signs of piety before going to Russia. So it seems like many are being recruited in Russia. The dynamics by which they are recruited are yet to be researched in any depth.
The profiles of Tajik militants vary, Lemon said. Some are educated, others not. “For example, Abu Muhammad Al-Tajiki, aka Alan Chekhranov, attended the prestigious Tajik-Slavonic University in Dushanbe. Although many have come from rural areas, some were born in Dushanbe. Nevertheless, certain commonalities exist amongst the majority of militants. Most are young men; the oldest recorded militant was 41 years old. Most have spent time in Russia. The majority of them displayed few signs of piety or interest in religion growing up.”
Asked about the factions Tajiks are fighting with in Syria and Iraq, the researcher said that when reports of Tajiks fighting in Syria began to surface in 2013, many were fighting with [Al-Qaeda”s Syrian affiliate, Jabhat] al-Nusra. “But nowadays it seems the vast majority are fighting with IS in Syria and Iraq. Whilst we cannot be sure of exactly where they fit into IS”s structure, videos posted on Russian social networking sites show Tajik militants living and fighting together.”
Mr. Lemon noted that most Tajik militants seem to be experiencing their first combat in Syria and Iraq. “Many of the veteran “Islamic” militants, such as Ali Bedaki, Mirzo Ziyoyev, and Mullo Abdullo, who fought with the opposition during the civil war are now dead. The only “veteran” Tajik Islamist leader who has a public profile is the shadowy leader of Jamoat Ansruallah, Amriddin Tabarov, who is thought to be in Pakistan.”
